Let’s face it, most active men and women today strive to have a nice sexy waistline and in the case with men, a rock hard six pack. It is not something that is easily attained, but when you have one, you will not want it to go away.
There are many terms that people throw around for a nice midsection. Ripped abs, washboard stomach, 6 pack abs, and being cut.
What is the bid deal with 6 pack abs
One of the main reason people want a nice six pack is to get attention, whether from the opposite sex or just to show off how fit you are. Not only will you look good, but you feel great with added confidence!
Misconceptions for getting a nice Six Pack
- Doing a bunch of ab crunches or other abdominal exercises will get me a nice six pack.
This is completely false. You cannot isolate a muscle group hoping to build it exclusively and shred the fat around it. You need to lose fat to see your abs. No matter how many crunches or situps you do, you still will need to lose that fat above them for the six pack to appear. - Focusing purely on cardio and working out will get me a nice six pack.
Cardio definitely is one of the factors in trimming that waistline, but you should not focus on that completely. Nutrition is the key factor. You need to have a healthy diet rich in protein and without junk foods. Eating healthy is the best way to eliminate the fat and uncover those abdominal muscles. - Buying weird ab gadgets that target just the mid section is the best exercise for abs.
False! Do not buy any gimmicky product that promises a six pack just by attaching some product to your abs. The best exercises for abs are cable crunches, decline crunches, and hanging leg raises. See how to perform these ab exercises. - Taking this or that pill/supplement will magically burn the fat so I have nice abs.
There is no pill that is just going to shed away the fat and reveal your abs. It takes hard work, consistence training, and a healthy nutritious diet.
Does everybody have a Six Pack?
Not everyone is born with 6 abdominal muscles. Some people have 4, 6,7 or 8. It is determined by your genetics. The shape, location, and amount of abs you have cannot be changed by exercises and dieting. Most people have some sort of 6 pack on them now. The problem is a big layer of fat covering them up.
So what is the best plan to build a nice Six Pack?
First thing you need to do is be committed. You will need to sacrifice junk foods and alcohol for the most part. I try to leave one day a week where I can eat a drink whatever I want. During the rest of the week your daily diet should consist of 40% protein, 40% carbs, and 20% fat.
You need to monitor you weight/body fat weekly to make sure you are making progress. Begin cutting your calories slowly each week to maintain fat loss. Adjust these as necessary. You do not want to lose weight too fast, otherwise you will lose too much muscle.
Stick with a conventional weight training routine and cardio 3 days a week. Something listed in the workout section will be sufficient. Cardio should last about 30-40 min and should be anything that elevates your heart rate for the entire time frame. Even a slow walk can do the job.
Consistently maintaining a healthy diet and working out regularly as stated above will steer you in the right direction to achieving a 6 pack. For more info on getting a six pack you might want to check out Mike’s ab program which I talk about and reviewed here.